Gloria+Small


 * SUMMARY: Gloria Small, age 43, died March 7, 1978 after an abortion performed by Ronald Tauber at his Orlando Birthing Center in Orlando, FL.**

Gloria Small, a 43-year-old mother of six, went to Ronald Tauber for a [|safe ane legal abortion]. Despite Gloria's obesity, asthma, chronic lung disease, and family history of high blood pressure, Tauber elected to perform the 15-week abortion at his Orlando Birthing Center on March 7, 1978.

Gloria's uterus was punctured in the abortion. Tauber packed Gloria's uterus with medical gauze, which appeared to have controlled the bleeding. However, the next day he removed the packing and the hemorrhage resumed.

She was not transferred to a hospital until 30 hours after she had been injured, and died despite an emergency hysterectomy. The medical examiner said that Gloria's medical history should have precluded performing an abortion in an outpatient setting. The medical board faulted him with failing to transfer to a hospital as soon as he'd had the bleeding stabilized with packing, and with trying to remove the packing in a setting where there was no blood available for a transfusion. A court-appointed panel found Tauber negligent in Gloria's death.

The repercussions for the 31-year-old Tauber were astonishing, given the legality of Gloria's abortion. He was dismissed from the staff of two hospitals, had his medical license suspended, and was charged with manslaughter. However, I have found no record that the case ever went to trial.

As you can see from the graph below, abortion deaths were falling dramatically before legalization. This steep fall had been in place for decades. To argue that legalization lowered abortion mortality simply isn't supported by the data.

Sources:
 * //Orlando Sentinel Star// 4-20-78,
 * Miami Herald 7-20-79
 * "Abortion Doctor's License Lifted," //Florida Today,// Mar. 18, 1978
 * "Doctor Charged in Abortion-Related Death," //Florida Today//, Mar. 16, 1978
 * "Board to Hear Charges," //Florida Today//, Mar. 15, 1978
 * "Court Panel Finds Doctor Negligent," //Florida Today//, Jul. 20, 1979







include component="tagCloud"